Martial Arts Instructor, Soccer Coach Convicted Of Molesting 11 Children In Orange County

SANTA ANA (CBSLA.com) — A jury has convicted a soccer coach and martial arts instructor of several counts of molestation and sexual assault involving 10 boys and one girl in Orange County.

Luis Alberto Pineda, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 6. He faces a minimum of 30 years to life in prison.

During his trial, an 11-year-old boy testified that Pineda sexually assaulted him several times when he was 8 years old, twice in the backseat of the defendant’s car after soccer practice.

The boy was a goalie on a Fullerton tea coached by Pineda. Only identified in court as Anthony, the boy told his mother he had been molested and she took him off the tea.

The victims ranged in age from 8 to 15 years old, including one 10-year-old girl, Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Nichols told the jury. Prosecutors say the crimes spanned a five-year period.

Pineda worked as a martial arts assistant instructor at Moo Yea Do Martial Arts in Fullerton for about six years. He also coached soccer for the Fullerton Eagles, which practiced at Woodcrest Elementary School in Fullerton and Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim, according to prosecutors.